


jaws of the snake.

by xisanamii



Series: unspoken affections displayed by simple gestures. [2]
Category: Brave 10
Genre: Adventure, F/M, Romance, Slow Burn, i plan for it to be two chapters but it might go to three, isanami-centric, it's... long i word vomit, sasuke is a pining boi as always but you know it's my shipping arse it's gonna be reciprocated
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-29 18:42:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21414874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xisanamii/pseuds/xisanamii
Summary: there are other ways masamune plans to get ahold of the 'treasure'. fabricating a ceremony and making it so ueda's priestess can't get out of it is one thing. however, they all knew yukimura wouldn't let things go as planned (as always).a journey to oushuu also allows two braves to explore their feelings a bit more.
Relationships: Isanami/Sarutobi Sasuke (Brave 10)
Series: unspoken affections displayed by simple gestures. [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1588051





	jaws of the snake.

**Author's Note:**

> lmao the last time this was edited was in march whoops.
> 
> i actually have been working on this writing piece for a long time!! months on end tbh, and i was feeling stuck so i left it... but i decided to just post what i had, especially since i ended at a decent transition.
> 
> additionally, this is entirely a self-indulgent type of character study for isanami, and just a "what if masamune was more conniving/persistent in trying to obtain izanami".

A frequent customer at the sweets shop, it is no surprise that by now, Sayoko knows to expect the young priestess at her store at this certain day and time. Isanami usually ate breakfast at the castle before making her way down to the village, with the youth’s first stop being that of the sweets shop once a week. It used to be more often, but perhaps the youth is learning to exercise caution when it came to her sweet tooth.

“Oh, Isanami-chan!” Sayoko greets the priestess when she comes into view. They had just made sure to restock so that whatever suited the priestess’ cravings today would be enough for her unending appetite.

The youth skips over excitedly, a bright smile on her face as she lifts a hand to wave at Sayoko. “Hiya, Nee-san! Is Obaa-san resting today?” Isanami asks curiously, not seeing the owner of the store.

The brunette nods her head in response. “Her back has been aching, so I offered to watch the store for the next few days. I keep telling her to retire soon, but she keeps insisting on seeing the smiles on children like you make her the happiest.”

Isanami grins, sheepish in nature as she steps inside the store. “Eheh, we can’t help it, the sweets are just too good. I’ll never get sick of them.” The priestess motions to the candies she wants, and within a few minutes, they’re wrapped in a cloth and handed to her.

However, Isanami blinks when she notices that the things she’s been given is too much; this is more than what she had chosen or paid for.

“Nee-san, you gave me extra.” Isanami reaches into the bag to pull out the ones she didn’t ask for, but the elder woman shakes her head and puts her hands behind her back. A sign of saying she wasn’t going to accept the priestess’ return.

“It's congratulations from us, Isanami-chan!” Sayoko smiles. 

“Congratulations for what?”

“Oh, you’re such a sweet and humble girl.” The woman reaches out and ruffles the top of Isanami’s head. “It’s for being chosen to dance at Masamune-sama’s ceremony! That’s such a great honor and I’m glad Isanami-chan is getting more recognition from people outside of Ueda!”

_ Masamune… _

“Date Masamune?!”

Isanami nearly drops the sweets in reply, a cold sweat running down her back as Sayoko tilts her head in confusion.

“Did you not know? It’s been the talk of the town ever since the announcements arrived!”

The priestess excuses herself immediately, rushing outside to find the announcement board that the town used to communicate important findings. Isanami’s grip around her bag of sweets tightens as her gaze goes from paper to paper, and sure enough, one extravagant design sticks out in particular. It’s thanks to Yukimura’s lessons that she can read the kanji of the details. At this moment though, she wished she couldn’t.

“Wha...” She whispers, losing the nerve to remain standing. Collapsing onto her knees, the petite girl trembles with the effort to remain conscious.  _ Stronger _ . She had gotten stronger, she made that resolve not so long ago, but why could she not even will herself to stand? She could not support herself, drowning in her fear and unable to overcome it.

It’s silly. All he had done was kidnap her, and even if she had disliked it back then, it isn’t enough to warrant such a reaction. Yet now amidst the fear, there’s anger and confusion.

Her dances are sacred. She only dances for Yukimura, for her friends, for the people she loves. To dance for someone like Masamune… no, she refused! Tearing down that paper is tempting, but she didn’t want to cause trouble, so she lifts her head, determined glare directed towards the board. There is no way Yukimura would allow such a thing, right? As long as she tells him, he will certainly be able to do something. Someone of her own status did not have the power to do anything, but if it were her Lord...

Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, Isanami pulls herself off the ground, cradling her bag of sweets to her chest. Her appetite is long gone for once and she quietly makes her way back to the castle, flinching at every congratulatory remark she got as she did so.

Though her head remains held high, her eyes are glazed over with a faraway look. It continues all the way until she reaches her Lord’s room, to which she can hear vague mumbling before she announces her arrival.

“Yukimura-sama, it’s Isanami.”

“Oh~? Come in.”

She mutters her thanks, pardoning her intrusion as she slides the door open. A few quick strides are made before she plops herself a few feet away from Yukimura, gaze still focused on anywhere but her Lord. Rokurou pours tea for her arrival. When she wills herself to look at him, a thin smile on his face.

“What is it, Isanami-chan?” He taps his  _ kiseru  _ on a small tray, humming softly as he focuses his warm gaze on her. Comfort. Could it be, that he already knew? Isanami is surprised, but at the same time, should she really be? Her Lord always works in mysterious ways.

“I don’t want to dance for him,” she says. Her feet is neatly tucked under her bottom, hands on her knees, prepared to bow if necessary. 

Yukimura sighs, and what crosses his face is not an expression of agreement. It’s... an apology. Yet despite that...

“I see. If that’s what you want-” he begins to say, but is deftly interrupted by Rokurou, who has been silent up until this point.

“Isanami.” She can hear Rokurou shuffling, and she turns her head to meet the stern page’s eye. “I am aware of how upsetting this will be, but I ask that you reconsider it.”

“Rokurou-”

“My Lord, do not interrupt.” Though there’s a mutter under his breath about how Rokurou had interrupted him earlier, the page ignores him. “Date Masamune is a conniving man. He has already distributed this announcement to all the provinces and inviting Lords all over to watch the performance. Perhaps even Tokugawa Ieyasu. At this rate, if you were to refuse, it would cause Yukimura-sama to lose face.”

Isanami is frozen in place at that revelation. Yukimura shrugs it off.

“It’s not like this will be the first time I've done something people won’t like,” he laughs. “Don’t worry about it, Isanami-chan, I don’t have any intention of forcing you to do--”

“I’ll do it,” Isanami says steadfastly. Then she rises to her feet, giving a curt bow to the two. “Please excuse me, then, so I can make preparations.” Lastly, turning on her heel and sliding the door open and shut again, her tepid footsteps can be heard echoing throughout the hallway.

“Is she angry?” Yukimura hums.

Rokurou rolls his eyes. “This task will not be easy for Isanami. If anything, she’ll feel even more threatened. You’re aware of this, aren’t you?”

“She’s gotten stronger,” Yukimura replies. Bringing the  _ kiseru  _ back to his lips, he inhales. “I’d love to see the look on that Date Masamune’s face, when she shows up and things don’t go his way after all.”

The Brave of Water stifles an exasperated sigh. As if making him play devil’s advocate wasn’t enough, his Lord had to act innocent in this entire charade. “There’s no doubt he has more planned than a performance. Who are you sending with her?”

“Are you meaning to say we’re not enough protection for her?” Yukimura grins.

“Just because you revisited your training with Isanami does not mean you’re on par with any of your shinobi.” Rokurou moves to clean up the tea left untouched by Isanami. “Saizou won’t be back from his mission for a while.”

“Wasn’t planning on sending him anyway,” Yukimura shrugs. “Isanami’s changed a little more. Actually, I’ve thought of who I’m going to bring along, heh...”

* * *

Isanami is visibly upset, which isn’t a surprise -- first and foremost, she’s always been an open book. And secondly, agreeing to such an emotionally distressing task is bound to bring out the worst in her. Her response is much more... docile than what one may expect though.

After leaving Yukimura’s room, she had made her way to their usual training spot, secluded in the forest yet not so deep that sunlight is obscured. Taking out her iron fans from her obi, she hastily opens them and begins to swing them, frustration making her movements swift yet rigid.

No, she isn’t angry at Yukimura, far from it. She has no right. Ever since that moment one year ago, fate brought her to Ueda, her life had been devoted to her Lord. Something like dancing, even if it’s for an enemy, if it can be done to help Yukimura, then she... she will do it.

Her lips are pressed together tightly, brows creased into a frown. One swing after another, pretending she were fighting instead of dancing -- and then she misplaces one foot in front of the other, missing the timing, and falls forward. Her knees land harshly on the grassy floor and she barely manages to throw her arms out to avoid a face full of grass.

Isanami sighs, making no effort to pull herself up just yet. She turns over on her back, using one arm to cover her face. Her throat burns with the urge to cry.

“I haven’t gotten stronger,” she murmurs. “I can’t… how can I dance for someone who isn’t important to me?” But she’s given her word, and as much as she disliked Masamune, at least he…. he isn’t the one who took away the place that gave her dancing in the first place.

Tokugawa Ieyasu. Her stomach lurches at the possibility that he would be part of the audience. Masamune is one thing; her disgust with him is out of fear. But Tokugawa -- although she’s never met him, he is the one who gave the order to burn Izumo. She will absolutely never forgive him. Dancing for him would be out of the question, so she entertains the thought that he would be too busy to go. How close is he with Date Masamune anyway? She’s hoping not too close.

“Haaaaaa,” she extends another sigh, rolling on her front and flailing her arms and legs about. “I don’t wanna! Dislike, dislike, dislike, I heavily dislike Date Masamune and Tokugawa Ieyasu! DISLIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Drawing out the last syllables of the word, she lets out a final huff. “Hmph!” 

Ah. That felt good. Moving her head slightly to direct her gaze towards the sky, she pauses at the ruffle in the trees. Squinting, she spots the familiar figure of Sasuke, who leaps down immediately once they meet gazes.

“Sasuke!” She sits up in surprise. “H-How long have you been here?”

He rubs the back of his neck, looking away in guilt. “... Long enough.”

Isanami is usually shameless and it takes a lot to embarrass her, but it seems that with the heavy flush of her cheeks, this is one of those rare instances where she could feel shame. 

“Oh, haha, you heard everything then…” She covers her face with her sleeves. “How embarrassing! Pretend you didn’t hear anything, okay?”

That’s a hard request to grant, especially when Isanami’s childish tantrums were seldom activated nowadays. Still, because it’s her, he nods to assure her.

It takes a few moments for Isanami to pull her arms down, giving Sasuke a sheepish grin. She’s still embarrassed, but her pouting isn’t the only reason she’s concerned about being discovered. Her words were a direct refute to the request she was granting her Lord. As a Brave, that is the biggest disservice she could do.

“I… I didn’t mean to be a liar,” she lowers her voice, pulling her knees to her chest. “I promised Yukimura-sama, so I will dance…”

“Isanami, not a liar.” He hastily moves to reassure her. He’s also pulling out ointments and bandages to treat her scraped knees. Silently, Isanami relaxes her legs and allows the Koga shinobi to treat her knees. “Understandable, that you would dislike this. It’s alright. I… will help you too.”

The priestess lets out a giggle. “You’re going to dance with me? That’d be nice.”

He clears his throat, shaking his head. “N-No. Yukimura-sama’s orders. I will accompany you to Oushu.”

“Oushu?” She repeats, blinking curiously. “Sasuke is?” It’s a bit of an oddity to hear that. Usually, when it came to traveling missions requiring groups, Sasuke is one of the ones who’s ordered to stay in Ueda to protect it.

Sasuke nods in affirmation. One brow arches just slightly in amusement. “Yukimura-sama thought it would be funny, to have me go. Because I helped to retrieve you from Oushu as well. One year ago.”

It only takes a few moments for Isanami to register that, racking her mind for memories and her Lord’s intentions. She laughs at that. “That’s right, isn’t it? Eheh. Yukimura-sama can be petty when he wants to be.” Isanami stretches out one leg once he’s finished wrapping it. “Does that mean Ana is coming too?”

“No. Yukimura-sama said, since I am not here, Ana will be one of the ones to stay.”

“I see…”

Anastasia is strong, so she isn’t surprised that she would be one of the ones to stay in order to make up for Sasuke’s absence. However, Isanami had sensed that ever since… that betrayal, Yukimura-sama treated Ana differently. The smiles and pleasantries were there, but despite how dense Isanami could get, reading the emotions of the two… even Izanami, sometimes, would whisper to her about it.

Isanami has already forgiven Ana. Have the others done the same? She wonders that sometimes. Glancing at Sasuke, she has half a mind to ask out of curiosity, but quickly decides she shouldn’t push topics that still held a heavy air to it.

“That makes me feel better though, that Sasuke is going to come!” She claps her hands together excitedly. “You get to see my dancing up close!” Assuming that there are no trees nearby the stage that Masamune will provide, of course. “We haven’t traveled together before, so it’ll be a lot of fun~”

In truth, Sasuke did prefer staying in Ueda. The role where he is the one saying “welcome back” seems to suit him far better; he and Isanami have developed that tradition ever since Yukimura recruited Jinpachi. However, it is rare that Yukimura gives him the direct order of going, and even more so for Sasuke to agree. Though he obeys his Lord’s every command, when it comes to things that challenged the shinobi’s specialty, there’s a slight protest to it.

However, Yukimura had given him a knowing look, emphasizing aside from him and Rokurou, only Isanami would be going on this trip--

“Y-Yes.” Sasuke furiously shakes his head, clearing his head of willful thoughts. “It will be fun.” Though a faint warning on Rokurou’s side -- this will most definitely be a trap. While they didn’t think Masamune would do anything dramatic when involving Lords of all regions, there had to be some plan he had if he was bold enough to fabricate the news of Ueda’s legendary dancing priestess coming to Oushu. While Ueda’s residents were more likely to agree that Isanami’s dancing was a sight to see, it was still an exaggeration meant to pique the interest of a larger audience.

That in itself is cause for concern. Sasuke has full confidence that he will be able to protect Isanami and his Lord if push came to shove, but practicing arrogance is known for its follies.

“Isanami,” he begins. “I think, it would be better…. If you asked Yukimura-sama to bring another person with us.”

The priestess tilts her head. “You think? It’s not going to be dangerous though.” Sasuke pulls his hands away once he’s done treating her knees. “Ueda needs more people to guard it. You know I’ve been training, so I can defend myself if it becomes necessary. Yukimura-sama and Rokurou-san are pretty strong too, they surely will not lose to Date Masamune if he picks a fight with me.”

In other words, she’s not worth the cost of Ueda. Sasuke bites his lip, then opens his mouth to argue-

“And I have you, too.”

Mouth closed. Cheeks flushed. Throat coughs. Head turns away. Saying such a direct thing with innocent intentions, it’s just like her and he still isn’t used to it all these months later.

Oblivious to the shinobi’s newfound embarrassment, Isanami stretches her arms and sighs. “Now I gotta think of a new dance to show, huh? It’s not a traditional festival, so I can’t perform any of my shrine dances… this’ll be a challenge.” As much as she disliked what prompted this challenge, she can’t deny that dancing has always been her passion, and any opportunity to improve and perform for an audience is actually quite exciting.

“You can do it,” he encourages. “I believe in Isanami. Excited to see what you will show.”

“Really?” She grins. “Then I’ll hold you to that! I better see you in the front row, Sasuke!” Jumping to her feet, slightly wincing at her aching knees, she lifts her arms up and stretches her back. “Alright! I’m gonna work hard for everyone~ oh! But you gotta make a promise with me. I wanna surprise everyone with a new dance, so you can’t be in this area when I’m here. I’ll tell Yukimura-sama and Rokurou-san too when I get the chance.” Pressing a finger to her lips, she winks. “Okay?”

He’s a hundred percent sure that whatever she does will dazzle him anyway, but he shyly nods. “O-Okay. Then, I will leave.” He leaps up immediately into the tree, looking back once at the young priestess. “Isanami, good luck.” Then he leaps away, tree after tree until Isanami no longer sees the shuffle in the leaves.

“Thank you,” she says, even if she knows he’s no longer there. “For comforting me.”

Isanami bends over, picking up her fans and closing them. Tapping her chin with the base, she closes her eyes in contemplation.

“... Alright, let’s try this.”

* * *

Days pass until they have to leave for Oushu. Traveling to the North requires more supplies at this time of year. Despite the somber air the priestess carries around the castle over the days, her chipper disposition has been somewhat easy to maintain. True to her word, her dedication to composing a new dance for this occasion has been spent in secrecy. Although she likely would have not noticed if any of the shinobi could spy on her, out of respect for her wishes, she’s left alone in that clearing.

The night before, there’s a tap on Isanami’s door. The youth mumbles an almost incoherent “come in” from her face shoved into her futon.

Anastasia’s ears are well trained, so she picks up on it with ease. Even eliciting a slight chuckle from the kunoichi as she opens the door and closes it once she settles on the futon next to Isanami.

“Sulking before going on your big trip?” She teases, leaning against the wall as she watches Isanami wriggle out from the blankets.

“Am not,” she pouts.

Ana arches an eyebrow. “Oh? Then what are these pudgy little cheeks doing?”

“They’re not doing anything!” She yelps, covering her face. “... Are they that pudgy?”

“It’s a joke.” Ocean blue hues glimmer with amusement and she reaches out to lightly pinch one of Isanami’s cheeks. The days directly after her betrayal, the air between her and the young priestess had been strained. However, it had surprised the former Iga kunoichi when Isanami had trotted her way into the forest one day, seeking Anastasia herself in order to rekindle that former bond.

Though things could perhaps never be the same, as those cold words echo once more -- “ _ everything you believed in was an illusion _ ” -- the priestess’ persistence could bring something more. And slowly but surely, they had eased back into a familiar routine. Though Yukimura likely would never forgive Ana, her punishment showing in solitary guard or frequent missions --

On the few downtimes she had, she could have sleepovers with Isanami, as they used to have. Dully, Ana remembers the time when Saizou had barged into the shared room, drunk and rambling on wanting to dress like a woman.

Ana would affectionately call these Braves… such fools. Forgiving her could not have been easy, and yet here she is now, pulling on Isanami’s cheeks, who in turn lets out a playful whine of protest.

“It huuuuuurts! If they’re not pudgy, then don’t pull them! Anaaaaaa!”

“My bad,” she responds unapologetically. A smirk tilts upon her lips as she lets go, leaning back once more. “And? You’re going to Oushu tomorrow.”

“Yeah!” In spite of the torture her cheeks endured, rubbing them as a result, Isanami perks up cheerfully. “We’re going early because I need to practice the dance with Date Masamune’s instrument players. Can’t have a performance without a little beat, y’know~”

“Will you be alright?”

It’s the second time someone has asked her that similar question of concern and Isanami wonders if her mouth fails as a filter. Unfortunately, she is just that transparent. And even if she knows she’s terrible at lying and she knows Ana will see through it, Isanami smiles.

“Of course!” She thumps her chest. “I’ve been practicing hard for this.”

A bittersweet smile crosses Ana’s lips. “That’s not what I mean, Isanami, and you know it.”

It makes her feel more guilty. Everyone is worried about her (well…. Everyone that cared-) and she has no means of assuring them that she would be fine. 

“I know,” Isanami replies, her voice lowering a tone. “But isn’t it enough for me to believe it will be fine?” Lifting her head, she locks gazes with Ana. The kunoichi pauses, allowing silence to fill in the space between them.

When they were first getting to know each other… in fact, ironically, the first time she had been kidnapped by Masamune, it was at that time Ana helped Isanami realized her heart made her a Brave, and not just skill (or lack thereof). And furthermore, Ana had become irritated by how the men coddled her and saw her as glass. She wanted Isanami to become stronger, like she had, to not rely on the men to protect her all the time.

Yet… irony is sweet, and also bitter -- who would’ve thought after all that, Ana as well felt the urge to shield the young priestess, pull her away from those who wanted to harm her? Isanami was trying to get stronger and Ana found herself contradicting those words she spoke to Sasuke back then.

The blonde Russian laughs, relenting and reaching out to ruffle the top of Isanami’s head. “Alright, if you say so. How about I braid your hair again? Last one for the road. We won’t be seeing each other for a while.”

Isanami perks up, nodding enthusiastically and scrambling over to the other. “Roger!”

* * *

It’s early next morning when Isanami drags herself out of bed. As expected, Ana has already left to do patrol and she can hear a commotion outside her room, undoubtedly the servants scrambling to prepare Yukimura. Fortunately, Isanami had packed everything she was going to bring last night, so her stroll to the common room after eating breakfast in her room was quite relaxed.

She can hear Rokurou fussing again, and Isanami stifles a giggle as she opens the door to greet everyone. There, she catches the image of Rokurou, lips pressed into a thin line, surely a sign of his irritation, as Yukimura is laughing heartily.

“Good morning,” Sasuke is one of the first ones to return her greeting, watching the events unfold from a corner in the room. Isanami grins and waves at him.

“Yo, Isanami-chan!” Yukimura waves a hand in greeting.

“What’s going on, Yukimura-sama? Rokurou-san?” She turns to stare at the duo. 

“Rokurou’s trying to get me to dress nicely. I said it should wait until your performance.”

“My Lord, we’re Masamune-sama’s guests. Do try to  _ pretend  _ that you care, at least.”

Isanami blinks. “It’s fine, right? We’re not staying at his castle or anything.”

“Masamune-sama has invited us for a dinner when we arrive,” Rokurou states. “Thus, I imagine he will be receiving us.” A glare towards the joveling Lord. “And my Lord’s casual appearance will be disrespectful.”

“Oh…” Isanami looks down at herself. “Should I go change then?”

“As vessels, we’re fine.” Rokurou shook his head. “This - troublesome - Lord - is - the - problem.” Enunciating every word, sharp tone directed at Sanada Yukimura, he finally relents and trots off towards his room.

“We’ll meet you and Sasuke at the front gates!” Yukimura calls out, letting out a whine when Rokurou shoves him none-too-kindly into the room.

“We’re already late, my Lord!”

Isanami laughs, turning to Sasuke. “I guess that’s our cue. Are you all packed up?”

He nods. Ameharu and Rin suddenly pop out from behind him, moving towards his shoulders and giving warm hums towards the priestess. “We are ready.”

“Good morning, you guys! I didn’t see you there-” Isanami lets out a small yelp as the two ferrets leap towards her enthusiastically. She catches them with ease, giggling as they nuzzle her cheeks. They, too, must sense the faint distress as the hour ticks towards their departure.

Sasuke’s mouth tilts into a faint smile as he watches the interaction. It’s always an endearing sight to see.

“Let us go then,” he advises, rising to his feet. Isanami nods, walking after him with a skip in every step. 

“Are they coming too?” Isanami slides the door to her room open, trotting in and picking up her baggage. Ameharu navigates down her arm, settling atop her bags. She merely laughs and carefully lifts it as a response, making sure he won’t fall off. 

“Tau and Ameharu are staying,” Sasuke states, standing in the doorway. When Isanami walks back out, a wordless offer to carry her bags. Isanami grins and says her thanks, watching as Ameharu chitters out what seemed like a protest. “Rin will come. As will Akeha.”

“Oh?” As if on cue, the horned owl flies down and settles on Isanami’s shoulder. “Uwah~ Akeha, you’ve grown so big! It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” A hand reaches up to lightly stroke her wing. “Sounds like it’ll be fun, hehe~ Ameharu, Tau, we’re counting on you to protect Ueda in our place!” As if to comfort the disgruntled ferrets, Isanami nods seriously towards them. They perk up in response, with Tau nudging Ameharu off of Isanami’s bags. She waves goodbye until they disappear, presumably to Sasuke’s room.

She notices Sasuke’s lingering gaze. “It’s rare that they’re left without you, right?” She asks. Sasuke brings his gaze back to Isanami’s face, giving a small nod.

“... Worried a little,” he mutters.

This trip would certainly be a first for everyone, but one of the biggest challenges Sarutobi Sasuke has probably faced ever since he survived on his own as a child. He’s… not accustomed to walking in the open. Covertness is his specialty, the trees are his comfort, watching from the shadows is his preference. Yet on this mission, he must be visible at all times. Walking alongside his comrades rather than traveling in the forest above them. When it came to Oushu, technically he could observe from the shadows. Being a bodyguard didn’t require an openness and would likely be a disadvantage to him, at any rate.

He glances towards Isanami, who’s trying to reassure him by telling him all of his animal friends’ strengths. It prompts a small smile.

And if he did not remain in sight, Isanami would not be able to see him. Even if she knew he would be there, it is not the same, right? If she can be even a little more assured, the difference between seeing him and not… that slight difference he would be willing to indulge.

“-- And Tau bites really hard! I saw her battling that grasshopper the other day, it didn’t stand a chance!” She finishes, making exaggerated motions with her hands. Then she winces, putting her hands together and saying a quick prayer. “I’m sorry again, grasshopper-san, that your life was short.”

Unsurprising for her to do so, but it prompts Sasuke to mimic her actions hastily. It’s the little quirks in life that enable them to enjoy it, after all.

Arriving at the front gates, Isanami raises her arms and stretches. Akeha flies off elsewhere, probably going to catch up with them later, and Rin hops down and curls up on one of their luggage.

“Do you think we’ll be in Oushu before dinner?” Isanami muses. “I wanna take a look at any snacks shops they have, since we’ll be there for more than a few days.”

Already thinking about food? … Well, it wouldn’t be Isanami if she didn’t.

“We will have time to look around.” That is, if Yukimura ever manages to dress in time.

Minutes pass until the trot of horses can be heard. The two Braves look up to see their Lord atop a horse, dressed quite gallantly. At the least, it’s a fashion they’ve only seen him in… never. 

Still, these two Braves are also the ones to put full faith and praise to their Lord, no matter how eccentric he could get.

“Well?” Yukimura laughs. “How do I look?”

“Yukimura-sama, you look like a real Lord!” Isanami blurts, wide smile on her face. 

“H-Hey, doesn’t that mean I don’t normally look like one?”

“You don’t though?”

_ Straight to the heart.  _ Yukimura coughs.

“And you, Sasuke? How is it?”

The Brave of Grass had already pulled himself into a one-knee bow when Yukimura made his arrival. “Yukimura-sama, it is perfect.”

Next to him, manning the reins, Rokurou sighs. “All these years of serving you, and this is one of the only occasions you’ll allow me to dress you like this? Now I’ve seen it all.”

“It’s to support our lovely dancing priestess, after all!” Yukimura hums. “Plus, that Masamune will definitely be dressed extravagantly as well. Ohoho~”

In other words, it’s another petty retaliation, as everyone is expecting for Yukimura to show up looking as he always did (a peasant).

“I’m all fired up!” Isanami cheers. When the servants are done loading their luggage on the cart the other horse will be pulling, she spins on her heel and runs ahead of them. “Last one there buys dangos for everyone~”

“Isanami-chan, slow down there.” Yukimura calls out. “You need to get on a horse too.”

“Eh? Why?” Nonetheless, she pauses mid-step and looks back on the group curiously.

“You need to rest for tonight. The dinner will be quite busy,” Rokurou explains. “As the main event, I’m sure you’ll be getting a lot of attention.”

Isanami somewhat doubts that -- after all, Masamune has specifically called her out for this occasion because he desired control over her Kushimitama, right? The only one she can imagine approaching her is him, and if that’s the case, no energy was really necessary.

“I can walk, it’ll be fine!”

“Isanami-chan, don’t force me to make it an order.” Yukimura gives a playful wink, though there’s a solemn undertone to his words. 

The priestess sighs. “Okay, if you say so.” Then she walks over to Sasuke and grabs his arm, tugging him towards the horse. “Let’s get going then!”

“Wh--” His face flushes as he stumbles along with her. “A-Ah, you need my help to get on…”

“Hm?” Isanami glances back at him. “Aren’t we sharing a horse?’

“Hah?!” Sasuke frantically looks from Isanami, to the horse, and lastly to Yukimura. However, it looks as if the latter has just burst out laughing, opening a fan and cover his mouth as he did so. Rokurou’s head is turned away - Sasuke is willing to bet the page is smiling in amusement at this newfound predicament.

“That’s right, we all need to save our energy. Good call, Isanami-chan!”

“Yukimura-sama!” Sasuke protests, heartbeat speeding up erratically. “Isanami! I- I don’t need to. Walking is fine for me-”

“Yukimura-sama said it too,” Isanami huffs. “If I’m gonna be resting, then you should rest too! We dunno what to expect tonight, after all!”

Another willful protest attempts to squeeze out his throat, but Yukimura is of no help - he also gives the order and Sasuke is loathe to refuse it as a shinobi.

“Or could it be that you don’t want to ride with Isanami-chan?” Yukimura says, voice still teetering on the edge of wanting to break out in another bout of boisterous laughter.

Isanami blinks, eyebrows creasing up in sudden distress. “O-Oh, I hadn’t thought of that. Is that true? In that case, I’m sorry for pushi-”

“W-Wrong! I want to!” Sasuke hastily rushes to refute his Lord’s words, though he’s sure he just dug himself a deeper grave. “H-Here, Isanami.”

Sasuke leaps onto the horse with ease, extending a hand towards the priestess. She smiles, giggling softly as she fits her hand into his and allows herself to be pulled up onto the horse.

“It’s been so long since I’ve ridden a horse.” Pulling her legs to one side of the horse, she leans to the side, shoulder thudding lightly onto Sasuke’s chest. “I sit like this, right?” The only reference she could pull from was how she sat a year ago with Saizou. Hm, when the posture is like this though, it really feels like a knight and a princess, right? She had entertained that thought with Saizou, and now that it’s repeating with Sasuke, she can’t help but make the parallel connection.

It’s a bit embarrassing, now that she thinks about it.

The Koga shinobi exhales shakily, willing himself to not leap away into the trees. “W-Well…” Considering this is easier for him to control the reins, plus he isn’t sure if he could handle the idea of hugging Isanami from behind all the way to Oushu if she sat the normal way… then again, it’s not like her practically sitting in his lap is any better, despite the fact the side of her body is the only part leaning against him.

Over her head, Sasuke can see Yukimura grinning. This is the only time he has felt the urge to disobey his Lord’s orders, even if only for a moment.

“It’s okay,” he mutters in resignation. 

“Sasuke, your heart is beating really fast.” Isanami speaks up in concern, frowning as she presses her ear further against his neck. “Are you tired? Hungry?”

He’d consider it a miracle if his heart didn’t give out by the end of this trip. “N-No. I’m fine.”

“Okay, if you say so.” She pauses. “How come Rokurou-san isn’t getting on Yukimura-sama’s horse?” Isanami pipes up once they begin setting out and she notices that the page is making the trek on foot.

“.....” A grim line appears on Rokurou’s mouth. Yukimura chokes.

* * *

Somewhere along the way, as expected, she could not fight her drowsiness and fell asleep. Settling into a more comfortable position (at the expense of Sasuke’s heart), her head nuzzling into the crook between his neck and shoulder, a peaceful aura washes over her.

“Watching her like this again, it really makes one wonder if she has any sense of danger,” Rokurou sighs. Still, now that this mischievous facilitator is asleep, he can finally hop down from the horse and resume his trek on foot. Those were torturous hours, even for him. “I’d daresay she hasn’t changed from the time we went to Kyoto.”

“Now, Rokurou, that’s just her specialty.” Yukimura laughs, glad that he finally has space on the horse now. “Refreshing innocence is always good to have on a trip. Besides…” Yukimura taps his chin with the edge of his closed fan. “I’m surprised she can manage to do that when it isn’t Saizou.”

Sasuke remains silent, not wishing to speak lest the vibrations from his vocal chord wake her up. His gaze is soft as he watches the slumbering priestess and his attention does not divert even at the mention of Saizou’s name. Still, his heart clenches just slightly.

Having practically raised the Brave of Grass himself, Yukimura’s able to read what remained unspoken. “That’s a good thing, Sasuke. It means hope isn’t so lost after all.” An encouraging wink is given towards the younger man, who merely blushes again.

“...” A slight shake of his head, meant to be his refusal to the jest. One hand moves up to sweep hair out of Isanami’s face, lingering if only for a second longer, before he moves it back to the horse’s reins.

Yukimura takes it as the cue to stop teasing for once, as the atmosphere became much more somber. He knew that Sasuke thought there indeed was no place for him, and no chance… but could that really be the case? Ah, well, he’ll let nature take its course.

Sometimes fate has a strange way of playing out.

She later awakens, minutes before their arrival in Oushu. 

“Ah, I fell asleep.” She covers her mouth with a sleeve, yawning. “Sorry, Sasuke. It must have been uncomfortable…”

Well… it depended on which definition she used. Still, he shakes his head. “No trouble.” Carefully sliding off so that he can also help her down, he quietly attends to the horse while Isanami bows and runs ahead of the group, spreading her arms wide.

“Uwaaaah, so this is Oushu?” The town is lively, and though she knows she shouldn’t have expected less, it had been difficult for her to envision a town similar to Ueda when her experience with Oushu had been… well, being kidnapped. Though it’s unfair to attribute the traits of a Lord to his people, right? Even if Date Masamune is a scary and unreasonable man, that didn’t mean his people would be the same.

In fact, they look…. happy.

Steadily approaching the entrance though, Isanami finds herself nudged backwards. She looks up as Rokurou shakes his head, motioning for her to stand beside Sasuke as Yukimura slides down from his horse and takes the lead. Following the motion, her eyes are met with the haughty gaze of Oushu’s Lord himself. Despite every bit of her will being summoned to not react, her body is a mirror of the Ten versus Ten match a few months ago.

Seeking comfort in the nearby comrade, a covered hand goes to gently clutch at Sasuke’s sleeve. He merely steps closer to her in response, expression turning impassive as he bows in respectful greeting following Rokurou.

“Date-sama, you didn’t have to trouble yourself to greet us.” Rokurou begins to speak, but Yukimura suddenly breaks out in laughter as he approaches the One-Eyed Dragon.

“Masamune, it’s been a while.”

“Yukimura.” A dangerous glint shines in Masamune’s eyes, but he returns the laugh with a boisterous chuckle of his own. Then he addresses Rokurou. “Rokurou-san, of course I had to come out and personally greet my guests. Especially… the lovely dancing priestess of Ueda.”

As expected, he calls her out personally. Biting her lip, hands trembling beneath her clothes, she takes one step forward.

“Isanami-” Sasuke whispers, enough for only the two of them to hear.

The priestess gazes back at him, a wistful smile tilting upon her lips. She releases his sleeve. “I’m fine,” she responds with the same tone, but finally taking the steps forward to stand next to Yukimura. She lowers her upper body into a polite greeting.

“Date-sama, this priestess is humbled by your compliments. I truly do not deserve such high praise.”

“Please, o’ holy priestess,” Masamune grins, offering a hand towards the youth. “Masamune is fine.”

She freezes, voice caught in her throat as she stares at the outstretched hand. She did not wish it, and yet--

“... Masamune-san,” she murmurs. “Please, you do not need to venerate me. I am simply Yukimura-sama’s Brave.” She fits her hand in the Lord’s outstretched one, who simply lowers his body enough to place a polite kiss on the back of her hand.

All the eyes watching them certainly spoke to how the gesture came across. The small entourage of guards following Masamune had widened their eyes in surprise. The villagers who came out at the commotion began whispering at the high esteem this girl was held by their Lord.

It only pressures her. Those from Ueda are certain he’s doing this on purpose. Once he lets go, Isanami bows again and steps back, casting her gaze to the ground. There’s a small nudge on her ankle and she looks to find Rin, curling around her leg. She masks a smile.  _ Thank you, Sasuke. _

“And?” Pleased to see that she’s smart enough to not make a scene, he turns his attention towards Sasuke. “This is… Sarutobi Sasuke, yes?”

Another glimmer in his eye. Masamune has recognized the Brave of Grass, not simply from the Ten versus Ten match that (frankly) humiliated his side. Sasuke sweeps his body into another bow at the acknowledgement, remaining silent.

That Yukimura… bringing the shinobi that’s caused him to lose face twice. Restraining a grind of his teeth. Masamune merely laughs again. “Where are the other Braves?”

“I’m afraid they’re caught up in affairs back at home.” Yukimura opens his fan and begins to wave it towards himself. “I’m sure they might come by later to watch the performance.”

“Ah,” Masamune nods. “That’s disappointing to hear. Nonetheless, as your host, I am obliged to welcome you all into my castle.” A pause. “Though Yukimura has refused the stay, I took the liberty of renting out the entire inn nearby just for you. I hope this would suffice for you?”

Yukimura restrains a cough. “Why, we’re honored to hear that.”

This is certainly a battle from the start.

“As you may know, I’m also inviting you into my castle for a welcome dinner. Surely you cannot refuse?” Masamune’s powerful gaze sweeps over the small group of Ueda.

“We wouldn’t dare,” Rokurou inputs. “However, Isanami-sama-”

She cringes at that. Ew, why was Rokurou giving her such a formal honorific?

“- Is tired from the trip. I believe it is in both parties’ interest to allow a few hours to collect ourselves. We will be glad to meet at your castle whenever dinner is ready.”

Ah, was he using her because Masamune would have a hard time disputing it otherwise? She hums quietly. Rokurou was amazing, wasn’t he!

When Masamune’s gaze lands on her, she quickly nods in affirmation.

“Well, we can’t have that, now can we?” His smile is thin. “Very well. I will send a servant to fetch you at your inn once preparations have been completed for dinner.” Masamune turns towards the large crowd. “Citizens of Oushu! I know you’re excited for this festival, and I expect a warm reception for our guests, but for now, allow them a respite!”

Then he sweeps up his robes, making large strides back in the direction of his castle.

The crowd doesn’t seem too eager on listening, casting multiple excited and curious looks toward the group, but they seem to hold Masamune’s words in high regard. They disperse in a few moments.

When there’s no one but her comrades, Isanami releases the breath she’d been holding.

“You did well, Isanami-chan.” Yukimura turns and goes to ruffle the top of her head. 

“Masamune-sama surely has something planned,” Rokurou states. “Isanami, make sure you’re always with Sasuke no matter what.”

“Y-Yeah…” Isanami agrees. “You’re right… I’m not sure I’m going to like what he has in store, haha.”

“Isanami, no need to worry.” Sasuke appears in her line of view. “I, will protect you.”

She offers a thankful smile. “I’ll also help.” That is to say, she no longer views herself as someone who will only hide behind someone’s back. Finally, she will be able to stand at their sides.

“Still, the whole inn?” Yukimura sighs in exasperation. “What a pushy, troublesome guy.”

“A stubborn one to match your sense of humor, my Lord.” Rokurou says dryly. 

“H-Hey, Rokurou, I could be offended…”

“Good.”

Isanami giggles at their exchange before walking ahead of them, going towards the direction of the aforementioned inn. “I’m hungry~ how long do you think dinner will take?”

“Looking at the time, it should only be a few hours.” Rokurou follows after her, tugging their horses along. “You have time to take another nap, if you wish.”

Isanami arches an eyebrow, turning on her heel and walking backwards with a cheeky grin. “Right, ‘Isanami-sama’ is tired after that other nap she took, right?”

Rokurou coughs. “I had no choice.”

“Hmm~”

Tying their horses to the nearby shelter, the quartet makes their way inside. Sure enough, Masamune has rented out the entire inn and even had servants ready to attend to them inside.

“Isanami-sama, your room is this way. Yukimura-sama, Rokurou-sama, Sarutobi-sama, yours is this way.”

The respective rooms are quite a ways from each other. Yukimura merely arches a brow.

“He’s certainly not trying to be subtle about it.”

“You think?” The page rolls his eye. “Well, it’d make sense to have separate rooms, but…” If something were to hypothetically happen, it would cause a delay in reaching the priestess. 

“Can’t we put Sasuke’s room next to hers? The entire inn is ours, after all.”

Leaving no room to argue on either side despite the protest that began to rise up, Yukimura allows another laugh to echo in the hallway as he walks towards his designated room.

Sasuke sighs, turning towards Isanami. “Rin, Akeha -- will stay with you. If you need anything, you can… call for me. As I will be next door.”

Isanami nods, allowing Rin to settle on her shoulder and Akeha on her head. “Thank you again, Sasuke. Sorry that you couldn’t get a more quieter space though…”

He shakes his head, earnestly gazing into her eyes. Even she’s taken aback by it.

“Isanami, I… am always glad to be by your side.”

After saying that though, it seems that’s his limit. His face flushes and he quickly retreats into his room.

Isanami blinks owlishly, her own cheeks bursting red in response.

“Eheh, Sasuke has been talkative lately. I guess he’s really excited to be in Oushu.” Even she knew Sasuke left Ueda in sparse occasions. Tilting her cheek to lightly boop Rin, she turns on her heel and goes into her room.

It’s unnecessarily lavish, eliciting a pressured response from the priestess. She’s wary of touching anything in this room, not wanting to owe Masamune anything. There’s jewelry and fine clothing and toys -- hmm, did he think of her as a child? 

There’s a shadow at her door then.

“Miko-sama, we’ve come to help you prepare for dinner.”

An eyebrow arches. Akeha flies to the windowsill and Rin hops off to curl on the bed as Isanami approaches the door and slides it open.

“What do you mean?” She asks, looking at the bowed heads of two maidservants.

“Masamune-sama has instructed us to dress you for the occasion,” one of them explains. “And we will be attending you for as long as you’re staying in Oushu.”

“Oh…” She frowns lightly. “I don’t think that’s necessary, really! I can dress myself. Plus, I’m a priestess, not a princess! This service is really-”

“You’re our honored guest. Masamune-sama has given us the order to give you whatever you need.”

The argument remains there. Isanami would hate for them to get in trouble because of her, but she truly felt uncomfortable with the idea of being put on a pedestal. This isn’t why she came here.

“I… okay. As long as you two don’t overdo it.” She relents, telling herself that this is the painless way of ensuring Masamune doesn’t lose face so that Yukimura in turn wouldn’t lose face. “And what are your names?”

The two maidservants blink in surprise, not expecting for the youth to take interest in their lives like that.

“Oh. I’m Haku.”

“And I am Rumi.”

They both give a short bow, which Isanami returns in haste.

“Nice to meet you both. Let’s get along!” 

Haku slides the door closed while Rumi moves across the room, gaze moving over the many fabrics.

“What would you like to wear, Miko-sama?”

“Oh, Isanami is fine!” She corrects, bounding over and cheerfully giving a smile. “Haku-chan, Rumi-chan! I’m not really fond of titles. Well, I am a priestess, but I’m Isanami first!”

“Isanami-sama,” Haku says tepidly.

Her smile drops just slightly, but she shakes her head. “Okay, at least we’re making some progress.” Isanami turns to the other maidservant. “And as for what I like to wear, something that’s comfortable and easy to move around in. I don’t mind any colors. Though, I really do know how to dress myself…”

“Something like tying an obi is easier with another pair of hands,” Rumi reassures. “Plus, if you’d like, we can do your hair.”

Haku holds up an ornate hairpin. “I think this would look good with your hair color. If you’d hand over what you’re wearing now…”

“Oh!” Isanami instinctively moves her hands up to guard the Kushimitama. “This hairpin is… a special charm for me. I really would like this to remain untouched. You can do whatever you want with my hair and clothes, but this  _ needs  _ to stay.” She hopes her earnest plea doesn’t come off as too suspicious. Haku gives a contemplative look before nodding her assent, which allows the petite girl to relax just a bit.

After half an hour of getting ready, Isanami’s lips are pulled into a thin line.

“I… I don’t think this is easy to move around in.” Her voice teeters into the edge of a whine as she does her best to turn her head and assess the damage that was done.

“Pardon my directness, Isanami-sama, but what you usually wear is… not appropriate for a girl, especially at a formal dinner.”

“Ehhhh…..” She pouts. “Is a formal dinner really necessary for a welcoming night? It feels… like a lot.”

“We don’t expect you to be dancing tonight,” Haku says as a comforting gesture. “Don’t worry, Masamune-sama will be providing more flowing clothes for your performance. As of now though, this furisode will have to do. It’s much more suitable for a girl your age anyway.”

True, that her usual attire hugged her body more, which is unorthodox for the ways kimonos were usually worn (and certainly an undesired aesthetic when it came to the way society viewed the female body), but at least she could freely move around in it! 

Isanami can’t even remember the last time she wore something that constricted her movements this much. Outfits like the shrine maiden’s robes were much more preferable -- they held a lot of room for her limbs to stretch and flail and move.

Sighing heavily, she hangs her head in defeat. Her usual stubbornness would be of no help here. She isn’t in Ueda and she’s (technically) in the land of the enemy. Everything she did would weigh on Yukimura, and though she’s doubtful her Lord cared about his image, she at least… didn’t want to be a burden in this land.

It’s a good thing she’s good at bouncing back though. After that short bout of complaining, she quickly warms up to the outfit and even spins around, watching the sleeves flutter.

“This is such a cute color though~” Her smile spreads wide and she cheerfully gives her thanks towards the two maidservants. “Thank you so much!”

Once again, the warm atmosphere of the priestess throws them off. This is simply their job, not warranting gratitude, yet she’s quick to lower herself-- hmm, perhaps that’s not it. Priests and priestesses in general were not high on the social class scale, so perhaps her attitude isn’t unwarranted after all. Those of religious background were highly respected, perhaps venerated depending on their skill, but they fall pale in comparison to lords and shoguns.

“You’re welcome,” Rumi offers back. She’s quick to fall into pace with the youth, despite her own status. Haku is less keen, perhaps because of the greater age difference, but she gives a subtle nod.

“Even if you don’t want your hairpin to be touched, I can still adjust your hairstyle, Isanami-sama.”

She motions for the youth to sit, who does so after a moment’s contemplation. It can’t be too bad. Humming a song to herself, she revels in the feeling of the comb pulling through her hair. It does feel nice, doesn’t it?

Isanami doesn’t know how much time has passed, but pretty soon there’s a muffled voice on the other side of the door, with her recognizing it as Rokurou. She can see the shadows of Sasuke and Yukimura to the side.

“Isanami, it’s time.”

“Oh! I’m almost ready.” She calls back. A glance asking for confirmation is given to Haku, who nods in response.

“Here, give me a hand.” She beckons to Rumi, who comes over on the opposite side of Isanami.

“Ah, I’m exposed.” The priestess gives a sheepish laugh. “I’m still trying to figure out how to move in this without messing it up.”

“It takes practice.” 

Helping the younger girl steady herself on her feet, Haku gives an approving look.

“You look much more refined like this.”

Oof, arrow to the head. What did she look like before then? She thought she always had good posture, but with the style of the furisode, it seems that keeping a consistently straight back is important to not crumple the fabric.

“Can I bring animals to the dinner?” Isanami asks, glancing towards Rin. She sees Akeha dozing off, so she’s trying not to raise her voice too much.

“... No?”

“.... No.”

Isanami pouts.

“What if I hid her in my sleeves?”

“There might be someone allergic to animal fur.”

A wistful gaze is given to Rin, who follows the flow of the conversation quite well. The ferret bounds over to Isanami, giving a nudge to her cheek.

“Okay… I’ll bring back something for you, Rin!” She sighs, shuffling over to the door. Haku takes strides ahead to go ahead and open it for her.

“Isanami-sama, we will be here once you return as well.”

“That’s okay, I wanna look around town once the dinner is over. Take some time to relax and play around.” She winks.

Haku slides the door open suddenly, clearing her throat. The men on the other side aren’t surprised at all to see the extra company, however, they certainly do take note of the difference in attire. Sasuke’s eyes widen, stunned into speechlessness while Yukimura grins and Rokurou arches a brow curiously.

“Ohoh~ Isanami-chan, what a splendid appearance!” Yukimura praises, placing a hand on her shoulder as she shuffles out.

“Hmm,” Rokurou gives her attire an approving look. “You’ve just outdone our Lord, it seems.”

Isanami gives a sheepish grin. Praise is always good to hear, though she makes note to humble herself -- the teachings of a priestess remains strong enough. An expectant look is given to the silent shinobi, who covers his mouth with a hand and looks away.

“Isanami… is pretty.”

_ Oh _ . ‘Cute’ is a common compliment, but ‘pretty’ goes beyond that. Still, she smiles brightly. Truly, her friends spoil her too much when it comes to her fishing for compliments. It’s both embarrassing and fulfilling. Noticing that Rokurou and Sasuke have also changed their attire, going for a semi-formal look with the pattern of their kimono, she gives them bright compliments as well.

“Sasuke and Rokurou-san look amazing as well!” She grabs ahold of Sasuke’s arm, who lets out a surprised squawk. Dragging her companion down the hallway, she shoots a glance back at her Lord and his page. “Yukimura-sama, Rokurou-san, last one there buys dessert for everyone!”

“Ahh, wait for me then~!” Yukimura jokingly skips after them, though Rokurou yanks back on the collar of his Lord.

“You need to act more like your age. It’s creepy.”

“How cruel...” Yukimura falls back, tapping his chin with a fan as he gazes at the backs of his two Braves. “Well, Rokurou, what do you think Masamune’s planning at this dinner?”

“Hopefully, nothing for the moment.” Rokurou sighs. “It would be more beneficial for him to act at the performance. More people, more chaos. You’re a bit inclined to let her do whatever she wants.”

“It’ll be fine,” Yukimura laughs. “Look, even if Sasuke wasn’t going to leave her side, it seems like Isanami is clinging to him anyway.”

It’s not an uncharacteristic thing for her to do, but at the same time, they really only expected this kind of behavior if it were Saizou. Her affectionate nature isn’t limited to only the Brave of Light, of course, with her seeking comfort from whoever’s readily available. But they were rooting for the shy boy anyhow.

“We should go on trips more often,” Yukimura hums. Rokurou shoots him a look, as if to remind his Lord that Isanami shouldn’t be leaving the castle so freely. Though of course he ignores it with a jovial hum of his own, waving after Isanami when she stops running for a moment to beckon the other two to come faster.

“We’re gonna be late, you two!” Isanami sticks her tongue out. “Sasuke and I will win!”

“Oh no~” Yukimura laments. “I’m always bested by you two!”

“Stop that. You’re over thirty. Disgusting.”

* * *

Isanami summons all her past knowledge of ritual etiquette to apply it to this occasion. Of course some things are simple, such as how she should sit and how she should pick up tea. She always wore sleeves that were longer than her arms, so the furisode’s long sleeves that stop short of her wrists is of little consequence to her.

However, it’s also the stiffness of the obi she wore, back straight when eating, that tires her out. She very much prefers the casual atmosphere of Ueda’s dining room, laughing joyously with her other Braves and slouching over to steal food off of the other plates.

This atmosphere veils on surface politeness, with conversation all over the place, and Masamune occasionally taking center attention to direct the flow. Observing it from her place, she truly did get a better perspective of why this man, who put so much fear into her, is actually well-respected and had a large following. His charisma that demanded attention and eased tension into an otherwise awkward atmosphere…

_ As expected, Yukimura-sama is still superior though. _ A huffy thought echoing in her mind, she sips her tea carefully. She holds idle conversation with Sasuke sitting at her right, though careful to pick her topic seeing as Masamune was only a few seats away from her. 

He had kidnapped her for the Kushimitama a year ago and made an attempt to make her a prize to be won not even a month ago at the Ten versus Ten matches. His stubbornness is also something to be rivaled -- she’s certain he brought her here to gain more information or find another way to make the power she held inside her fall into his hands.

Well, it isn’t as if her hairpin is the popular conversation starter between her and Sasuke anyway. They were just talking about how Ameharu and the others would be doing back at Ueda. Tau’s training is going well, Sasuke praises, and Isanami can only lament that she wishes she could be of more help when it came to that. 

“If… Isanami wants, I can-” Sasuke begins, though is interrupted by a large shadow looming over the both of them. His instincts compel him to put an arm out in front of Isanami, though he’s quick to amend it once he discover who it is. “Date-sama.” The arm goes in front of his chest, giving a small bow in greeting.

Masamune acknowledges him with a nod, though they all know the real centre for his attention is the young woman.

“Isanami,” he speaks. And though she has never minded casual speech, it sounds strange coming from the silver-haired man’s mouth. “Would you do us the honor of giving a small performance?”

“E-Eh?” She blinks. “Right here?”

“Something to go with the sake,” he proposes.

In this kind of outfit, it would be extremely difficult to dance… she tries to look at her Lord from her peripheral vision, but he’s smiling and giving her an encouraging nod. Is it permission or an order?

“Then, I will perform a traditional dance of Izumo. It’s used to pour sake as well as give thanks to the gods.” Normally, she’s brimming with confidence. But the different charged atmosphere as well as the unusual form of her attire will certainly post a challenge. Her legs will not be able to move as much, she must watch her balance, and her sleeves are longer than usual. 

At the same time, the challenge is quite exciting. She’s a dancer at heart, and as she rises to her feet, Sasuke gives her the faintest of smiles, confidence veiling the gentleness. 

“May I have a jar of sake?” She asks, taking a step towards the center of the room. The request is surprising -- she can see the remarks on some of them, that she should not be drinking before a dance. “Everyone -- please have your  _ sakazukis  _ ready.” She says once she receives the jar. The young woman crosses one foot over the other, lowering only her upper body in a straight bow.

“Please enjoy my dance.”

Yukimura gives a quiet cheer, knowing that the current air of the room required silence. Isanami barely restrains a laugh. 

Allowing the room to cease all noise, where not even the creak of the floor could be heard, she closes her eyes. Envision the steps. Hear the steady beat of the drum, see the placements of the sake cups, imagine how her sleeves will flutter. Fortunately, Haku had tied her obi rather tightly, so she can’t imagine it falling apart unless something drastic happened. The sake dance would not be too strenuous on her waist.

With that, she opens her eyes and slides into motion immediately. Her bare feet moving steadily across the wooden floorboards, she throws one sleeve up, obscuring the vision of a three seated nobles. In another swift motion, their sakazukis are filled with sake. 

Isanami continues her smooth strides across the floor, spinning and arching her body in fluid movements that only a practiced dancer (or fighter, for that matter) could be capable of. The sake jar in her hands can be heard sloshing, but not one drop would escape unless it went into the cups. Some motions are repeated; she uses her sleeves to mask the pouring, at the same time, nothing had physically touched any of the other observers.

When she had filled the sakazukis of all those present, she slides the empty jar over to the side. Not a second had passed until she put force into her heel, jumping into a backflip and landing delicately on the edge of the jar with the tip of her foot. Her kimono stretches, but she’s determined to lift her other leg into a pseudo-split, balancing precariously on the rim.

Those watching remain stupefied. Waiting for the moment she would fall, remembering modesty, but the jar does not even wobble as she jumps and switches to her other foot, before leaping down and descending onto the ground without a sound.

She neatly tucks her feet under her legs, allowing the sleeves of her furisode to flutter and settle in front of her. Then she bows in finality, exhaling shakily, all her nerves coming up to rush her at once.

There’s a silence, so brief it stifles her, but all at once a roar of cheers envelopes her and she does her best to stand up and bow to every direction of the room.

Her face is flushed red from the embarrassment and praise. However, even in spite of the public attention, her gaze seeks out the familiar faces. Yukimura’s prideful look, Rokurou’s approving look, Sasuke’s… gentle gaze. She isn’t sure what she can call that, but at least, she can get the feeling that perhaps she’s done well again this time.

“Well,” Masamune begins. Isanami turns her gaze towards him. His own expression is haughty as always, yet there’s something else in his eyes. “We certainly have much to look forward to for the grand performance, don’t we?”

There’s a resounding agreement throughout the room. Praises of different sorts are uttered; some about the precarious balance she held on the empty jar, others about the elegance way she used the sleeves to add to the performance, there are even comments about how ‘that’ Yukimura could have obtained someone with that talent in the first place -- with her own two feet, she’s changed the way these nobles has viewed Ueda and Yukimura.

The risk had been worth it after all. Beaming brightly, Isanami trods back to her seat. Her nerves are still rattled, admittedly, and Sasuke’s concern is voiced quietly so as to not draw attention towards them.

“It’ll be fine,” she replies. “Though… a breath of fresh air would be really nice right now, honestly.”

He can relate to that feeling. Being inside for so long has always been suffocating for him. The comfort of the outdoors, the forest -- these calming effects are like no other.

“Let’s go,” he offers.

“Now?” She looks around. “But it’s not over yet, right? I don’t want to get you in trouble…”

He shakes his head silently. “It’s alright. We can sneak out.” A motion towards Yukimura. “Yukimura-sama will provide an excuse.”

Putting it like that… slowly, she nods. A faint smile tilts upon his lips and he offers his hand towards her. Isanami fits her hand into his eagerly, grinning from ear to ear. It truly was amazing, wasn’t it? One moment, she’d been surrounded by the buzz of conversation and loud cheers. Yet in the next suddenly she’s outside and nothing except the rustle of the leaves can be heard.

Before, the forest has always been scary, especially at night. But now, she’s learned that even this kind of place could be serene.

“Haaaah~ I feel better.” Isanami stretches out her back, swinging her legs back and forth while attempting to seat herself more comfortable on the branch. 

Sasuke’s inclined to agree. Finally, he’s here. All that time spent inside the inn and inside Oushu’s castle was truly overwhelming for the child of the forest.

He’s seated just a few inches away from her, one leg pulled to his chest as he rests his chin on that raised knee. Amber gaze is carefully watching Isanami, ensuring that she would not fall on the off chance she loses her balance.

This… this is nice. Having moments like this again. Isanami usually accompanied him to meet his forest friends in Ueda, so moments alone were not entirely uncommon.

But this is a rare time they are  _ truly  _ alone. Rin and Akeha resting at the inn, Yukimura and Rokurou occupied at Masamune’s dinner. There’s no other Braves, there’s no enemies, there’s no friends--

Just a lovesick boy and the girl who’s the source of that endearment.

The realization makes him flustered again, but fortunately, the mask of the night as well as Isanami’s attention occupied with the lights of the village in the distance shields him.

“-- And it looks like a sweets shop in that corner!” She claps her hands together excitedly. “I can’t wait to see the village, right Sasuke?”

There’s no response, which is a curious thing. Despite how much she talks, Isanami is aware that there are those few who are willing to indulge her, even by the bare minimum, and Sasuke is one of them. She turns her head curiously, wondering if he fell asleep.

What she finds is  _ striking _ . Her heart catches in her throat when she sees that he’s not dozing off. In fact, his attention seems vigilant, but on  _ her _ . His gaze is tender, much more so than she’s ever seen him give to even Ameharu or Rin or Tau -- or anyone else, really.

Her heart seems to be speeding up but she can’t fathom the reason. If she could dare to name the emotion in his eyes, she’d called it love.

** _But that wasn’t right, right?_ **

Oh no - now she’s so very flustered and in spite of all her preaching about how love is wonderful and she loves her friends, she’s also confused. Love -- truly, what is the meaning of love? The love she felt for certain people is different. And she knows there’s different kinds of loves out there. There’s the love between a parent and their child, the love between a brother and his sister, the love between friends, and…

“... Sasuke?” She whispers tentatively, as if that would snap him out of the spell he’s in. And it does. He blinks, lifting his head and allowing a dull realization to buzz over his head.

“Sorry, Isanami. I was… thinking.” Had he been caught staring? Oh, that’s embarrassing - was there a higher tree he could hide in?

“... That’s okay!” The silence fades and Isanami smiles brightly again. “It’s good to have some time to think.” She places a hand over her cheek, willing the heat to dull down (to no avail). She… she shouldn’t be so arrogant as to assume what his feelings were. Besides, Sasuke is kind - he might’ve been thinking about Aoba back at home or something. Maybe he associated her with one of the water otters!

And… and what would that say for herself? Why did she feel disappointed? What about Saizou? If she compared how she felt for Saizou to Sasuke, is there a difference? Is it love she feels for Saizou, the Brave of Light who rescued her from the darkness many times? Is it love for his actions? What he did?

“Hnnnnnn….” 

“Isanami?”

“ _ Mou _ , forget it! I don’t know anymore!” She yells out suddenly, throwing her arms upwards. Sasuke jumps at that. “Sasuke! Let’s go take a walk in town~ I promised to get snacks for Rin and Akeha.”

“Okay,” he agrees. Another wordless action of sweeping the petite girl into his arms and jumping down. It’s something that he’s always done and she didn’t mind, but with her newfound epiphany, she’s much more self-conscious of that now. 

“....” Still, she couldn’t just say anything about it. It’d be weird, especially when it’s nothing special! Right! When he places her feet on the ground and she waddles out of his embrace, she thumps her chest in an effort to calm down that stubborn heart refusing to slow down. Running ahead, decidedly avoiding thinking about her feelings by talking about food instead.

“What to get, what to get~” She hums. Well, if there’s anything she’s good at, it’s changing her train of thought by delaying the inevitable. There’s less spark to her walking today, as the restraint of the leg room she had in the furisode preventing her from skipping ahead in her usual manner.

“Rin… likes spicy food.” Sasuke offers. “Akeha… she will hunt.”

“Is that right?” She sighs, pressing a finger to her chin as she eyes all the stalls. Oh no, bad, the food isn’t for her, it’s for Rin! Ooh, but those sweets look really good… should she do it? Maybe Rin would like spicy sweets! She’s seen some of that around. “Mhnn…” However, her musings are interrupted when one of the passersby bumps into her. Her small frame is disadvantageous for crowded areas like these, especially when she’s not in the best form right now.

“Ah-” She wobbles in an attempt to regain her footing. Sasuke notices her dilemma and quickly steps forward, a hand wrapping around her upper arm to steady her.

“Are you… alright?” 

“Yeah,” she whines. “It’s so hard to walk in this outfit.” Looking around, she squints at the road ahead of them. “Ne, Sasuke, can I hold onto your arm? I think I spot something Rin’ll would like, but I don’t wanna fall over on the way there…” She feels bad for relying on him - that vow seems so long ago, her helplessness raw and real, but if she were to weigh the pros and cons, this is surely more beneficial?

He offers his arm out without hesitation, despite the fact that such a gesture will surely be hard on his heart again. She grins and carefully slides her arms around his, tugging forward so that they can begin walking.

This is similar to what she’d always do with Saizou, isn’t it? Except the dark-haired shinobi would surely be protesting the close contact, even making some attempts to pull his arm out. 

Oh… but comparing the two isn’t fair. They’re both different people, after all. Isanami shakes her head furiously, attempting to clear her mind. 

_ This isn’t like you, Isanami!  _ She hastily tells herself. When had she ever thought about the consequences of her shameless actions? Well, never! Rumination is not something she’s fond of, though with recent events and change, she supposes that she has been given time to… think. Reflect. Even if she sought out comfort in the form of physical affection, there were times when she restrained herself.

She’d like to say it’s a difficult thing to do and she’d be proud of herself for that.

Another long sigh.

“Isanami, what’s wrong?”

Sasuke’s voice breaks her chain of thought. She glances up, meeting his concerned amber gaze.

“Mhn,” she gives a noncommittal hum. She’s a bad liar and no doubt Sasuke would be able to see through any excuse she tries to give. “Just a little nervous for the performance.” Well, it’s not entirely untrue. Having someone here though helped her a lot.

Just when he opens his mouth to say something in encouragement, one of the stall vendors’ voice bursts into their conversation.

“Oi, miko-sama! Looking around?”

Isanami turns her head, attention gained by the middle-aged man.

“Yes, ojii-chan!” She tugs on Sasuke’s arm and he complies, leading her to the man’s stall. “Uwahhh~ so many snacks!” Golden hues shimmer in excitement as she scans the table. “Oh, these are pretty...” Attention is diverted momentarily to the various ornate hairpins. Suddenly, she’s much more conscious of her Kushimitama. Once a charm bestowed upon her by the head priest, and now the only object preventing this world from being bathed in darkness…

“Ne, ojii-chan, do you have spicy snacks?” She asks, bringing herself back to the topic at hand.

“Yes, I do~ though, didn’t you like the look of these hairpins?” He motions to that section. “I wouldn’t mind letting you try them out!”

“It’s fine,” she laughs. “I’d rather use the money I have to buy snacks~”

Sasuke’s gaze rests on those hairpins. Did… Isanami want them?

The priestess lets go of Sasuke’s arm so that she can reach for the money pouch in her obi. “Sasuke, after this we can go back!” 

“Mhn.”

* * *

“Isanami-sama, I heard that you performed a dance at the dinner tonight.” An apologetic bow is given from Rumi and Haku.

“After I said that it wasn’t likely too…” Haku’s expression twists into a frown. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay!” Isanami hastily reassures them. “It worked out in the end! Plus, I actually got to use these sleeves to add some flair to the performance. If anything, I should be thanking you!”

Before Isanami can lower her body in a bow though, the two maidservants reach out and press on her shoulders to prevent her from doing so.

“Please,” Rumi sighs. “There’s no need to humble yourself before us.”

“Thanks should be given where thanks is deserved,” Isanami retorts. 

“What a stubborn girl.” Haku muses.

“Hehe, I’m told that often.”

“Though I don’t mean it as a compliment.”

“Hey!” 

She holds a pout, before the three women burst out into laughter. Truly, what a mysterious atmosphere!

Yet the joy is interrupted by a voice at her door. Isanami arches a brow as Haku briskly goes to slide it open. There’s an unfamiliar face accompanied by --

Hmm, where has she seen that man before?

“Priestess, I am Katakura Kojuro.” The semi-familiar man walks in and places himself on his knees, giving a bow before facing her fully.

Ah…! The man who introduced himself after Masamune had kidnapped her before. He seemed like a proper man even back then, despite how displeased she had been with the situation.

“Yes, I remember you.” Isanami slowly returns the bow, though her curiosity is more heightened by the unfamiliar person. “And who is this?”

“I am your musician, miko-sama.” The young man smiles. “Rantarou, at your service. I thought it best to introduce myself before we officially practice with each other tomorrow morning.”

“Oh…” Somehow, she expects that she shouldn’t have been too surprised by this. The reason they came to Oushu early is so that she can align her dancing with the music that is to be played. “Pleased to meet you…”

“I escorted him here to allow you a meeting, as well as deliver a message from Masamune-sama.” Kojuro says, giving a glance towards the maidservants who had been bowing silently the entire time.

“... Nothing he can say to me can’t be heard from these two,” Isanami replies warily.

“It’s a delicate topic.”

“That’s okay, Isanami-sama. We’ll excuse ourselves for the night.” Haku motions for Rumi to also rise. “We’ll be here in the morning to help you prepare for your practice session.”

“Goodnight, you two.” Isanami presses her lips together, watching their departure. For some reason, she’s feeling uneasy. Rin bounds over and settles herself in the priestess’ lap, to which she gives a grateful smile. Then she turns to Kojuro, lips a thin line and eyes unsmiling. “Well, you have my attention.”

“Masamune-sama understands that your situation here is not the most ideal, especially regarding your feelings. To that, he’d like to offer his apologies.”

Isanami snorts. “If he’s really sorry, he’d be here personally.”

“He is busy with the preparations.” Kojuro replies unabashedly. “By a show of apology, he is also willing to provide you with a bodyguard.” He motions to Rantarou, who gives a devilish smile. “Rantarou is a musician as well as a shinobi. Please practice with ease when you are with him.”

If anything, that only made her more uneasy.

“I don’t need a bodyguard,” she frowns. “I can take care of myself.”

“Your win against Okuni was only because of that.”

Kojuro points to the Kushimitama. Isanami recoils and lifts a hand to cover it immediately. Rin is alert and lets out a growl.

“Oops,” Rantarou whistles, jumping backwards as a large shadow lands between the youth and Kojuro. “Nice of you to join us, Koga shinobi-san.”

“Sasuke!” Isanami yelps. “Where did-”

“Window,” he murmurs. “Pardon the intrusion.”

“I don’t really mind, but…” she giggles. “Were you eavesdropping?”

“N-No!” He protests, turning around in spite of the guilty look on his face. “I was returning, and Akeha warned me. Isanami may be in danger.”

That’s about what she expected.

“I’m alright,” she says. Dismissing him would be rude, so she merely smiles to reassure him.

“Fret not, if we wanted to harm the priestess, we would have done so already.” Rantarou hums. 

Sasuke glares at them but doesn’t say another word. He resigns himself to sitting besides Isanami, a watchful eye on the two men.

“This is what Masamune-sama means,” Kojuro sighs. “He’d rather not hand you over to anyone else. That shinobi didn’t come in when we first entered. Obviously, he does not take his duty seriously.”

“He can’t hand me over if I wasn’t his to begin with.” Again, that talk as if she were a treasure, an object… she hated it. “Besides, Sasuke trusted in me. He only made a move when you threatened me.” Isanami lets out a huff. “Anyway, I don’t see your point.”

“I heard that you wanted to keep what you’ve been working on a secret, priestess-chan.” Rantarou interrupts. “So Masamune-sama had the kind heart of assigning a fighter that could protect you when we practice in secret.”

She stiffens. Nevermind where he heard that, as she was sure Masamune had taken investigatory measures into her from the beginning, but it was true that when she was going to practice with the music, she still wanted to insist that no one else come with her or eavesdrop. And since they were in enemy territory, she had a feeling that kind of sentiment wouldn’t be welcomed.

“He’s really bold, isn’t he?” Isanami asks, her voice flat and devoid of amusement. 

“Only your best interests in mind, miko-chan.”

Despite the sarcasm filtering in his voice, Isanami ignores him. She turns to Kojuro and tilts her head in a slight bow. “Then tell that Date Masamune I accept his challenge.”

“Isanami?” Sasuke gives her a questioning glance.

“It’s a test, Sasuke.” She turns towards him and gives him an encouraging smile. “They’re saying that they can protect me and not kidnap me again, so long as you or Rokurou-san or Yukimura-sama stay away from me when I’m practicing.”

“Do you… trust them?”

“I don’t,” she shakes her head. Hesitating, she then reaches out and places a hand atop his. “But I want to do it. I’ll prove that I’m stronger. That girl I was a year ago, Date Masamune will find that he cannot take advantage of me anymore.” Her fingers curl into a tighter grip and Sasuke tilts his head down to focus his gaze on that. It’s as if she’s seeking consolation.

“...” Quietly, he uses his other hand and rests it atop hers as well. Giving her hand a squeeze, his gaze softens that much more. This is reminiscent of the time she came to him first, asking if he could train her to be a fighter. And though he had refused at the time, ending with Yukimura-sama’s intervention and taking over as her teacher, with Sasuke ultimately ending up as a sort of assistant- the burning determination remains the same.

“Then, I… will believe in you.”

Isanami brightens, pulling her hand back and leaping at Sasuke into a hug instead. “Thank you, Sasuke!”

“...!” His face flushes, body stiffening as a hand slowly rests on her waist.

“Look forward to my performance, okay? Remember, you promised to be there at the front row!”

“Mhn…”

“.... Are we invisible or what?” Rantarou suddenly asks, giving Kojuro a wry look. The latter man is clearing his throat and looking away, as if that would give them privacy. Isanami turns her head and wrinkles her nose at them.

“If that’s all, you can leave now.”

“Hmph,” Rantarou sniffs. “I’ll pick you up in the morning, miko-chan.”

The expression she holds definitely says she’s not really looking forward to it.


End file.
